How Storytelling Can Turn Crowd Chaos into Connection
Storytelling School
It’s my very first time at Comic-Con. I’m with my dear friend Denise, and it’s her first time, too. The second we arrive in downtown San Diego, we’re hit with a wave of everything - cosplayers everywhere, camera crews darting around, and volunteers all over the place. There are 135,000 people moving in every direction at once. It’s buzzing, massive, and honestly thrilling! Since it’s Day One, we find our way to the convention center and step onto this long escalator. We’re heading up to the top, and I’m trying to act calm - for Denise, sure, but really for myself, too. Inside,...
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200 Episodes In: Your Storytelling Masterclass in 50 Moments
Storytelling School
It’s a Tuesday morning. I am sitting in front of my computer, matcha tea in hand, staring at my podcast dashboard. A little number in the top corner catches my eye. 200 episodes, 200! Part of me can’t even believe it. I think back to those first recordings; I was so nervous, wondering if people would care about storytelling the way I do, yet week after week, I kept going. I didn’t always know if I’d have the time, the stories, or the right guests to keep it fresh. But every single conversation, every solo episode, every moment behind the mic has taught me something. And at each...
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Why Storytelling Mastery Lives in the Middle
Storytelling School
I am standing on a court in Santa Barbara, and it's my very first pickleball lesson. I arrived early and I’m already warmed up, focused and ready to do everything exactly right. In fact, even before booking this lesson, I researched every single coach in town. I landed on Richard Pastoria because he's the real deal: a professional coach for over 25 years, the resident pickleball pro at the Valley Club of Montecito, and - not only that - he also has a military background. That combination of structure and discipline and high standards speaks to me because I've been an athlete my entire life,...
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How Great Speakers Rehearse (It’s Not What You Think)
Storytelling School
I'm on a Zoom call with one of my private clients. She is a powerhouse executive and is preparing for a TED-style keynote. Her ideas are solid, and her story is incredible; it's emotional, has high stakes and everything you would want in an opening story. And the rest of her Talk? That’s epic as well. Plus, she's done the work and is ready to go. We start rehearsing and everything… falls flat. Her delivery is kind of robotic, and there's no energy in her voice. Even the transitions between her story and her insights kind of feel like speed bumps. She is reciting her script but isn't...
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The Callback Strategy Every Speaker Should Know
Storytelling School
I’m working with my client on a TEDx Talk. In her opening story, she shares a vivid moment from her childhood: She is standing on a stranger's doorstep, completely nervous and uncertain if anyone is going to answer at all. It's a small detail yet it’s emotionally powerful and completely gripping. After the story, we go ahead and develop the rest of the Talk. And as a whole, her Talk is strong. It's structured and meaningful… except when we get to the end. Something is missing. Her idea and her content are clear, but there isn't really an emotional lift at the end. I suggest going...
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What Knife Fighting Taught Me About Storytelling
Storytelling School
I am standing in the dojo, drenched in sweat. We’re in the middle of a dynamic circle knife drill, and I’m surrounded by fellow black belts, each armed with metal training knives and ready to attack in a simulation of real-life danger - fast, chaotic, and unrelenting. At first, I hold my own, fueled by adrenaline and a strong desire to prove that I can hang with the best. I move quickly, using flashy moves and relying on sheer speed, but as the drill speeds up, my technique falls apart. I'm rushing transitions, missing critical details, and losing confidence. My partners sense the...
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Why Sharing Difficult Stories Can Change Lives
Storytelling School
I'm a freshman at the University of Hawaii, living the dream on a full-ride softball scholarship. One night during finals week, my roommate and I decide to take a break from studying and grab a bite to eat. On our way back to the dorms, riding our mopeds, the unthinkable happens and I get hit… by a cement truck. I wake up five days later in the hospital with massive head injuries and indescribable pain. The doctor tells me that my sense of taste and smell is gone, permanently. For years, I don’t talk about the accident. I think, who wants to hear a story like that? It feels too...
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How Embracing Imperfection Can Transform Your Storytelling
Storytelling School
It's the early 2000s, and I get invited to speak in New York to a room full of tech heavyweights - people and thought leaders I dreamed of being in front of. I am determined to crush it, so I do what any overachiever would: I obsess. I write, rewrite, and practice endlessly. No improvising. No mistakes. I even buy a stiff, serious outfit that doesn’t feel like me but seems like something a “real” speaker would wear. On the day of the event I deliver my Talk flawlessly, every word in place. The audience claps, though I leave feeling like something is off. It was perfect, yes, but...
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How to Make Numbers Unforgettable Through Story
Storytelling School
It’s 2006. I am sitting in the audience at TED surrounded by visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders. The energy in the room is electric and everyone is buzzing with anticipation about who’s going to take the stage next and what new insight we’ll walk away with. When the next speaker, a Swedish professor specializing in global health and data, is introduced, I brace myself for a dry, academic talk full of statistics and charts. Instead, the speaker starts moving across the stage with visible, infectious enthusiasm, pointing at animated visuals and telling a story through data....
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Why Many Stories Fall Flat in the Final 10 Seconds
Storytelling School
I am coaching a speaker as she prepares for one of the biggest keynotes of her career. Her story is powerful, full of resilience and triumph. As she runs through her story, I am captivated... until it just... stops. She smiles, says thank you, and that’s it. There is no call to action and no invitation. I deliver the news, gently: her ending isn’t serving her or the audience. She pushes back because she doesn’t want to sound salesy. And while I do definitely understand her concerns, I explain that, while her story hits hard, her ending needs to hit home. So we roll up the sleeves...
info_outlineMy husband and I are driving to the airport for a family reunion when we both get pings on our phones. There’s a global outage. We check our tickets and plane reservations–they’re all fine. We head to the airport, and everything seems okay. The airline confirms our flight is on time, so we’re good to go.
An hour later, we get a delay, yet they assure us everything will be fine. Another hour passes and there’s another delay. They tell us again that we’ll make our connecting flight, and everything will be okay. Finally, we board the plane. It takes off and lands at LAX, where we discover we’ve missed our connecting flight. They promise us they’ll put us on another one.
My dad is texting, worried about the global outage. I reassure him that we’re fine and on the next flight…except that flight gets canceled, too, as does the next one. Around us, people are angry, yelling into their phones, and sleeping on the floor. Others are shouting at the airline staff who can’t do much about the situation.
At this point, I turn to my husband and ask, “What if this were fun?”
From that moment, we strive to make it fun. We start trekking through five terminals until we find the AmEx Lounge. We get playful and interact with people in character, indulge in some childhood comfort food of grilled cheese, and end up laughing and having a great time.
Fifteen hours later, with the global outage continuing, we return home having never reached our destination. However, we chose to make the experience fun when everyone else seemed to be falling apart.
My special guest, Sebastian Conelli, is an incredible actor, comedian, improviser who knows a thing or two about having fun. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you’ll learn about the power of choosing to have fun and be playful, even in challenging situations. You’ll also discover how to create connections with your audience, the value of being vulnerable and sharing one's inner thoughts and feelings in storytelling, and get answers to questions like:
How can awareness and being present in the moment enhance the impact of a story or performance? What are some specific ways in which Improv can enhance public speaking and personal confidence? And what techniques can you use to ensure that an audience connects with unusual or unexpected behaviors in a story?
What you will learn in this episode:
- How your approach to a situation can transform the story of your experience
- How Improv helps you stay grounded and make stories more impactful and authentic
- How personal challenges and experiences can be transformed into compelling narratives
Who is Sebastian?
Sebastian Conelli is an actor, comedian and improviser from New York. Sebastian has been performing and teaching improv for over 13 years. Sebastian is a part of the legendary improv team The Stepfathers (UCB), the best improv show in NY Raaaatscraps, and is a cast member of the longest-running improv show in NY, Asssssscat (UCB). Sebastian is the host of the successful podcast LOUD ABOUT NOTHING. You also might have seen Sebastian doing small parts on Max, Apple TV, Netflix, and in the 2024 Palme D'or winner Anora.
Links and Resources